Delegates at Green Party conference in Manchester have backed a new Northern Powerhouse rail line with a through station at Bradford.
Green Party spokesperson on transport Councillor Matt Edwards, who is leader of the Green Group on Bradford Council spoke in favour of the policy. Celebrating the vote he said:
“I am delighted that the Green Party conference has also backed Northern Powerhouse Rail, a high-speed rail line from Liverpool to Manchester and onwards to Bradford and Leeds and then the east coast. I have used every opportunity given to me as a national spokesperson to talk about Bradford and the investment our city needs.
“Successive governments have failed to invest in the rail network for our district and the whole North of England. This new Labour government made big promises about investing in rail, but we have already seen them u-turn on some of these. One of Rachel Reeve’s first act as chancellor was to cancel dozens of rail projects. Northern Powerhouse Rail and a through station at Bradford can not be one of them.
“Pollution and carbon emissions from transport remains stubbornly high. If we want to do something to address this, we need to invest in high-speed rail – but it has to be done right. Putting passengers and our planet at the heart of the project.”
Members at the party’s conference also voted for HS2 to be funded and completed in full, including the entire Eastern leg to Leeds.
Commenting on the revised Green Party policy, co-leader Carla Denyer MP, said:
“The Green Party has long supported the principle of a new north-south high-speed rail line but had serious concerns about the specific route of HS2 and the environmental impacts of this route. However, this first phase of HS2 between London and Birmingham is well under way and most of the environmental impacts of construction are already baked in. So this is a pragmatic decision by the Green Party. It moves us on.
“Crucially, we have also acknowledged that the northern leg of HS2 was always the most important in terms of tackling capacity issues on our railways as well as addressing regional inequalities. So the line must be completed in full.
“We also say loud and clear that our railways have to be built right – for habitats and wildlife, for local transport users, for affected neighbours and for government coffers. Greens will not support blank cheques or offer uncritical endorsement.”